Verdicts and Settlements

$60.9 Million Verdict for Brain-Injured Baby

Led by partner Deborah J. Gander, the firm in 2005 obtained $60.9 million in injury compensation, the largest amount ever awarded in a Federal Tort Claims Act case in the country. Federal Judge Jose A. Gonzalez found the Obstetrics Clinic in Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville, Florida, liable for medical negligence in the delivery of a brain-injured baby.

Our class action team achieved a $100 million settlement from Service Corporation International (SCI), a national funeral company, and its subsidiary, Menorah Gardens Cemetery. The case alleged that the companies buried families in the wrong graves, and the company agreed to compensate for the families’ grievances and provide in-kind services.

Lion Air Flight 610 Update: Investigators Release Preliminary Crash ReportOn October 29, 2018, a Lion Air flight traveling from Jakarta, Indonesia to Pangkal Pinang crashed into the Java Sea after experiencing a flight control problem minutes after departure. There were no survivors. The Republic of Indonesia’s Komite Nasional Keselamatan Transportasi (KNKT) recently published a preliminary report about Lion Air ...

NHTSA Investigates General Motors Over Faulty Braking SystemAccording to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), more than 2.7 million General Motors (GM) vehicles could be affected by deteriorating brake assist vacuum pumps. After receiving 111 complaints about 2014, 2015 and 2016 truck and SUV models, NHTSA has launched an ...

Marriott Discloses 500 Million Guests Affected by Starwood’s Database HackAccording to Marriott’s press release, Starwood’s guest reservation database was hacked. On September 8, 2018, Marriott International received an internal alert about an unauthorized user attempting to access the Starwood guest reservation database. Since then, investigators found copied and encrypted information from an authorized user. ...

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Practice Area Blog

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rejoins Colson Hicks Eidson as Partner

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (Sept. 13, 2018) – The law firm of Colson Hicks Eidson today announced that Francisco R. Maderal, former Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, has rejoined the firm as partner. Maderal was an associate trial attorney at Colson Hicks Eidson in 2011 before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2012.

As a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Maderal spent six years in the major crimes and international narcotics and money laundering sections where he led complex investigations and prosecutions against individuals and corporations for corruption, fraud, money laundering, foreign bribery, computer fraud, and Bank Secrecy Act violations. He served as the lead prosecutor in some of Miami’s largest money laundering cases, including a multi-billion dollar money laundering case tied to illegally mined and smuggled gold from South America that was being exported to Miami; and a landmark $1 billion money laundering case involving stolen Venezuelan oil funds tied to South Florida real estate. He also tried federal jury trials and argued before the United States Court of Appeals.

“Frank is extraordinary litigator and we are thrilled to have him back at the firm,” said partner Dean Colson. “The experience he gained while at the U.S. Attorney’s Office makes him a tremendous asset in handling complex commercial litigation and class action matters, both at the state and federal level.”

As an associate trial attorney at Colson Hicks Eidson, Maderal handled all forms of litigation, including multi-district litigation, product liability, wrongful death and personal injury, financial frauds, and constitutional and civil rights. Prior to joining Colson Hicks Eidson, he clerked for United States District Judge Ursula Ungaro of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the U.S. Attorney’s office and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the public as a federal prosecutor,” said Maderal. “I am equally grateful for the opportunity to return to Colson Hicks Eidson and have the opportunity to work with some of the greatest legal minds and trial lawyers in the country again. I am excited about this new chapter in my career and look forward to utilizing the skills I gained at the U.S. Attorney’s office to fight for justice for our clients.”

At Colson Hicks Eidson, Maderal rejoins former federal prosecutors Roberto Martinez, who served as the U.S. Attorney and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, and Curtis B. Miner, who served as an U.S. Assistant State Attorney, in the Southern District of Florida.

Maderal received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center where he served as executive editor of the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics and earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida.

ABOUT COLSON HICKS EIDSON

The Law Firm of Colson Hicks Eidson is a trial firm with nearly 50 years of experience handling local, national and international litigation, and arbitration. Members of the firm have been involved in some of the country’s most high-profile and landmark cases resulting in impactful and precedential rulings. A mid-size firm with a diverse staff comprised of more than 50 percent women and minorities, Colson Hicks Eidson prides itself on a track record of developing future leaders within the legal profession and its civic and community involvement. Members of the firm have held notable positions serving on the boards of prominent institutions, such as the State University System of Florida and the Florida State Board of Education, and holding high-ranking offices, including President of the 60,000-member American Association for Justice; President of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers; President of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers; President of the Dade County Bar Association; President of the Miami-Dade Florida Association of Women Lawyers; United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; and Chairman of the Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Commission.

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(*) Disclaimer: All verdicts and settlements listed here are gross amounts before deductions for attorney fees and costs. Past results do not guarantee similar results in the future. Most cases result in a lower recovery. It should not be assumed that your case will have as beneficial a result.